We're a team, Loki
by brokenunicorn
Summary: another Loki sicK!fic from a prompt on deviantart. The avengers are friendly in this. post-avengers movie
1. Chapter 1

Okay so this is a brand new fic for a friend on deviantart, usual disclaimers apply, i own nothing :P enjoy!

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Loki followed the rest of the weary avengers in, dragging his staff behind him. He knew it was unbefitting of someone oh his status to engage in such undignified behaviour, but to be honest, he didn't have the energy to care right now. He had been living with the Avengers for a little over three months, and besides the initial awkwardness of Thor announcing Loki WOULD be joining them, and their inital suspicion, after many battles and many many more showings of remorse, they were finally warming up to him.

They had just won a battle against Victor von Doom. His doombots were ridiculously simple to thwart usually, but it seemed they had recently acquired some new software. Oh yes, and there were around ten thousand of them, and seven avengers. All that added up to a bit of a difficult afternoon.

Loki had had to use his most complex spells, shield his teammates AND maintain his own illusions so that he could thwart many enemies at once. The battle had lasted for hours, and Loki, with his magic severely depleted, was exhausted.

As they all traipsed off to their bedrooms, grumbling about sleep and food and menial problems, Loki lay on the couch, allowing his eyes to drift closed, not in slumber, but in pure relaxation. He used the little magic he had left, for a few hours at least, to change his armor into more comfortable clothes, mainly black and green.

Loki was just drifting into a gentle meditation when he heard a glass smash. He was instantly wide awake, staff in hand, incantation on his lips before he realized two things.

a] he had no magic left to spar with

b] the glass had been smashed by one Tony Stark.

Stark stood a few metres from Loki, eyes wide, hands trembling slightly, one raised to point straight at Loki's face.

"Oh..my god." He whispered, one hand reaching up to rub across his eyes, as though trying to discern if what he saw was real. "Why are you blue?"

Loki choked a little, words failing to form on his lips. He took a fleeting glance at one of his hands. They had indeed reverted to their Jotun blue hue, and he could feel his staff freezing beneath his icy grip. He swallowed. The Avengers had not yet seen his Jotun form, for he had not wanted them to. He didn't want them to see him as a monster...again. But now one of them had, and Loki was mortified and ashamed to have let his magic deplete to such a level that he couldn;t hide the only thing he truly felt he needed to hide anymore.

And to make it worse, Steve Rogers had to choose THAT moment to enter that kitchen, freezing in the doorway as his eyes scanned the scene.

Tears burned in Loki's eyes. He was weak and tired and ashamed. He turned on his heel, fleeing the room, pushing past Steve in the doorway. He did not know where in the mansion he would go, but it needed to be somewhere he could find solitude. He found himself naturally drawn to the extensive, if pitifully underused, library, curling up in a corner, surrounded by books. Books would never judge him as humans did.

The other avengers searched for Loki for a long time before they found him. They had talked with Thor, and he had told them of Loki's Jotun heritage and his Jotun form. He had also told them Loki was very insecure about his blue skin, for they had been raised on tales of Jotun monstrosity, and Loki could never feel like anything but a monster wearing that image. They decided amongst them that it would be best to simply reassure Loki that he needn't hide who he was here, but he could feel comfortable however he wished to look. This consensus had sent Thor beaming from the room to start the search for his missing sibling, the rest following, wary of disturbing Loki, wherever he may be, when he was this upset.

It was actually Tony and Steve that found Loki, curled up in the darkest corner of the library. It had been the last place they looked because, frankly, Tony had forgotten the library existed.

Loki was curled up in a tiny ball, book in his lap, eyes closed in deep sleep. He had reverted to his Aesir form, although to Steve, it seemed he was more tired now than ever before. He whispered this to Tony, who suggested the strain on Loki's magic to maintain that form after such an extensive battle might be to blame.

Made no sense to Steve, but magic wasn't really his area.

Steve bent towards the sleeping God, sparing a moment to think on how peaceful he looked, this being the same man that had tried to destroy a city less than a year ago.

But now here he was, one of their ragtag band of misfits.

He shook Loki gently by the shoulder to wake him, but he didn't even stir. This in itself was quite odd, as Loki usually slept lightly enough that Tony had to soundproof his room so the poor guy could get some sleep at night. Steve patted gently at his cheek next, and gasped.

"Steve? What is it?"

Steve placed a hand on Loki's forehead.

"He's burning up Tony, like literally he feels boiling even to me, and Thor told us his temperature runs a little cooler than ours"

Loki stirred softly, coughing feebly. His eyes drifted open for a split second before closing with a snap, face scrunching up at the light. He pushed himself up a little from the bookcase he was leant on, calmbering to his feet, devoid of his usual grace.

"Loki?"

Loki's eyes snapped open, and he swayed dangerously. Steve rushed to support him as he slumped, only semi-conscious. The super-soldier lifted the god into his arms, and started making his way out of the massive library.

"Come on Tony, looks like someone could use his bed."

"You think he's ill? Or do you reckon it's to do with the magic and exhaustion?"

"I'm not sure, but i think Thor could tell us. First, I think it's best we let him get a little rest and go from there. To be honest, we all need a little rest before we do much right now"

Steve looked down at Loki, concerned, as the newest member of his team groaned, his forehead creasing in pain, coughing feebly. Yup, Thor would definitely want to know about this.

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R and R please :D


	2. Chapter 2

Okay guys so i hope you like this chapter :D usual disclaimers apply :P

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They deposited Loki on his bed, Steve stopping to realize this was the first time he had been in the Trickster God's room. It had taken Thor a while to convince Loki that he was truly welcome here and wouldn't be cast aside, and so it didn't surprise Steve that there was very little personalization in the room so far. It seemed Loki had started changing things to suit his preferences, for example the Green and gold colour scheme, but besides that there were very few personal touches. The room was very large, with huge windows on the far wall framed by green curtains, a large four poster bed, a closet and a bathroom joining on to the room. There was also a ginormous bookcase filled to the brim with any books Tony thought Loki might find interesting. Eyes scanning the titles, Steve noticed most of these were either Science books, or books in other languages. There were a few of Loki's own books, from Asgard, written in old Norse. Thor had presented Loki with those just after he moved in, saying he had borrowed them from their mother in the hopes they would make Loki happy.

Steve smiled. Yes, Thor was often vying for a chance to just make Loki happy. It was quite rare to get a genuine smile out of Loki, let alone a laugh, but when he _did_ laugh...Steve sighed. It was the most beautiful sound in the world.

Steve tucked Loki in, and pulled Tony away from where he was eyeing Loki's sceptre, and they left to find Thor. Two things were worrying Steve. Firstly, why had this illness come on so suddenly? and secondly, if it hadn't come on as quickly as it seemed, why hadn't Loki told anyone? Did he still feel like an outsider?

They found Thor in the kitchen, chuckling merrily at the television set since he had been informed via the comms that Loki had been found. To introduce Thor to television gently, Tony had showed the Asgardian man cartoons first. When first confronted with realistic television, such as a hospital drama, Thor hadn't quite grasped the concept and had leapt from the couch to help those in need.

"Hey big guy, we need to talk to you" Tony began pouring himself a drink. Steve dissapproved, but they had all had a long day and he didn't care to argue right now.

"Can it not wait, captain? This 'Animaniacs' is most amusing!" Thor barely turned from the screen.

"It's about Loki" Steve knew that would get Thor's attention. If there was one thing Thor cared about above all else, it was Loki.

And sure enough, Thor's head turned rapidly, the television put on mute by Tony.

"Loki? Has he done something to you? Is he alright? Have you done something to him?" The worry in Thor's voice overpowered an indignation Steve had about being accused of doing anything to Loki.

"We're not really sure if he's alright...you've noticed he's been quiet for a couple of days, right?" Steve continued, seeing Thor nodding, "Well, we found Loki in the Library and he seemed...ill. Can you guys even get ill? On earth?"

Thor frowned, concern knitting his eyebrows together.

"I do not know. I am certain I am unable to become ill whilst I am here, but Loki's Jotun physiology is vastly different from mine. It may be possible. I have heard tales of how the frost giants are vulnerable with climate changes. It has been rather warm recently, warmer than we usually saw even on Asgard. Perhaps it has affected him. How ill does he appear to be?"

"Pretty bad fever as far as we noticed, even to us. You told us he usually runs a little cooler right?"

Thor's frown deepened.

"Indeed. If he feels warm even to you, that is reaching dangerous levels. I must see to him."

Thor asked Steve to show him to his brother, and Steve did so willingly. If he was being honest with himself, he was worried about Loki himself. When he wasn't fighting against them, Loki was a nice guy. He was intelligent, just as much as Tony, but he was more patient than either Tony or Bruce when teaching him about technology and such. Steve supposed that come from dealing with Thor all his life. Thor may have been the big "brother" but it was evident that Loki had been taking care of Thor and steering him clear of trouble all his life. Thor was just a puppy inside, Steve thought. Loki was mischievous, but it was all in good fun most of the time, and he had valuable insight into tactical conversations. Plus, his magic was just plain amazing. Sometimes Steve would ask Loki to duplicate himself or something along those lines just to feel the spark of magic in the air, and marvel at what he was seeing. It was exhilarating. And Loki was ever patient with him. Steve wondered if he ever got tired of it. Until today Steve hadn't realized that magic took so much of Loki's energy. According to conversations with Thor, it wasn;t creating the magic that was the problem, as a truce sorcerer like Loki iwas/i magic. It was channeling the magic out in a non-destructive way, so that people didn't get hurt. Loki had showed them once what it looked like when he let all that magic just flow out of him, without restraint.

Tony had been wanting to run some tests so that he could track different magical signatures, and Loki had been a willing volunteer. Tony's curiosity had gotten the best of him, and after situating Loki in a reinforced room with cameras and a protected viewing area behind which stood all of the avengers, Tony asked Loki to just let the magic go. There had been a blinding white light, Loki's eyes glowed white, as did his limbs. The magic had poured from him in massive beams of white hot energy that vibrated what felt like the whole mansion. It had taken three renditions of Thor yelling at Loki to stop before he had snapped out of it, slumping in a dead faint. They had all been alarmed, but Thor had assured them it was merely overexertion, and Loki would be fine after sleeping for a while.

Steve hoped that Loki was only overexerted now, and that he would be better with sleep, for he didn;t like to think of anyone being ill.

But as he and Thor entered Loki's room and his eyes fell upon the thin God, laying in bed, sweat rolling down his face, yet shivering, he knew that was not the case.

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	3. Chapter 3

Okay so i wrote this when i was really tired so im sorry its not as long or if it isnt great...i hope you enjoy :d I own nothing.

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Thor had bolted towards his brother, cradling the shaking God in his large hands. Now Steve was really freaked out. He couldn't decide which freaked him out more, how sisck Loki looked, how suddenly it seemed to have come on, or how damn worried about it Thor looked.

After a good half an hour of Thor cradling his brother, staring at him, wiping the damp hair out of his face and murmuring that it wasn't normal for Loki to be ill, not since they were children, Steve was getting a little impatient. Loki looked downright awful, and they didn't even know what was wrong with him. So he decided to find Bruce, because Bruvce was clever, so he would know what to do.

When Bruce arrived back on the scene with Steve, he barely took a glance at the God before demanding they take him to the medical suit of the tower, which was only built in case of any major injuries during a fight. Noone had really expected them to have the God of mishief come to live with them, let alone to have him get so very sick.

Steve lay Loki down on the bed, having opted to carry the frail God himself. Steve had been surprised by how tiny Loki was, seeming far too light for someone as tall as he was. Steve knew Loki chose not to eat quite as much as the rest of them, still getting used to the food on Earth, but really, Steve could feel ever single one of his vertebrae through his clothes.

So steve assigned himself Loki mission number one; When Loki was better, or at least starting to recover, Steve would make sure he ate more.

He also set himself Loki mission number two; figure out why his stomach was doing backflips every time he thought of the green-eyes Trickster.

Bruce hooked Loki up to temperature sensors, heart rate monitors, and an IV to keep him hydrated. Steve felt a worried lump grow in his throat when he saw how high Loki's fever was.

"Any ideas doc?" Oh Lord his voice did not just tremble, it didnt, no, not at all. He wasn't that worried.

Bruce eyed him knowingly over the tops of his glasses and Steve flushed. It felt like Bruce could see right through him with a look like that. He wasn't sure what he was worried about Bruce seeing, or what the scientists actually did see from him in that moment, but he felt himself turning away defiantly, as if such a childish gesture would affect the other man.

"Seems to be closest to the flu in terms of our viruses, although we can't be sure that's what this is. I'm not a medical doctor, but I've seen enough diseases to recognize most. This seems like a violent strain of flu, reacting badly with his Jotun physiology. Basically, the fact that he isn't human means that the flu is making him a lot sicker than it would a human." He added, seeing Steve looking a little perplexed.

Steve shut his eyes for a moment. He'd had flu before, he knew how miserable and sick it made you, and this was going to be worse for Loki just because of where he came from? He also knew Flue had to get worse before it got better...and if this was how bad Loki was just a day into it...Steve started as he felt a hand on his arm.

"He'll be okay Steve, don't worry. He'll be up and about to help us again in no time."

Steve grimaced. Was that all anyone thought he cared about?

"I care about him as a person as well, Dr. Banner. He's not just a fighting tool for us, he's our friend now. He's been very kind to me."

Bruce gave him a look he couldn't quite desrcibe. "You like him as more than a friend Steve, even i can see that."

Steve's eyes widened. "N-nno no I don't." He stammered. He knew two guys going out was acceptable now, and he had no problem with it anymore, but he didn't think of Loki that way...did he?

I mean, everyone had to admit Loki was beautiful. And he had a devilish sense of humour, and he was incredibly intelligent and could do magic Steve couldn't even dream about. Steve found warmth pooling in his chest at the thought of how Loki could be sweet and kind in ways Steve just loved him f-

Loved.

Steve liked Loki. That way.

Bruce chuckled as Steves face melted into a smile.

"Ah, penny dropped has it Steve? I see how you look at him. You look more worried than Thor does right now, and Thor is his brother. Did you realize you've been holding his hand for the past ten minutes, rubbing your thumb on the back of it in concentric circles? And did you also notice how Loki hasn't stirred since you started doing so? He feels your presence Steve. It soothes him, and from the goofy grin on your face, it soothes you too."

Bruce clapped steve once more on the shoulder, turning to leave the room. He stopped in the doorway as he heard Steves voice.

"Dr. Banner..Thanks."

Bruce laughed.

"Oh don't worry about it. Just don't spend all of your time watching over him, or Thor is gonna notice something, and then you've really got something to worry about."

Steve gulped. Thor would kill him.

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Read and review please :D


	4. Chapter 4

Sp chapter 4 is up! Hope you enjoy :D None of this is mine.

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Loki was awake most of the next day, though Steve had to say it wasn't much of an improvement. His voice sounded like a chainsaw ripping wood to shreds, and he was weak, feeble, almost. And that made for a very irritable Loki. He growled at Steve every time he went to check on him, which led to long coughing fits that worried Steve. Being unable to get sick himself anymore, seeing someone else so ill seemed so much worse. Loki sounded like he was _dying_ when he coughed, and he was getting thinner by the day from the strain of the illness, and he refused to eat. When he had first awoken, Bruce had delivered to him some soup, but Loki had been unable to keep it down for longer than five minutes, and since that attempt, refused to try. Steve knocked on Loki's door, bracing himself for the coming rejection.

"Are you ever going to leave me be?"

Steve was surprised to hear that the words were not said in Loki's usual snark, but that they sounded...helpless. His voice cracked in the middle..he sounded like he was _crying._ Steve pushed the door open, rushing to the bed when he saw Loki sitting with his face laying on his knees, tears streaming down his face as he coughed harshly. He laid a hand on Loki's back, rubbing soothing circles as he waited for the fit to pass. To his surprise, Loki didn't throw his hand off as he usually did, but instead leant into the touch, as though he secretly craved this care and attention. Steve looked down to see Loki's glistening green eyes staring up at him.

"Okay now? What's the matter?" Steve was sure of just one thing then; he never ever wanted to see tears running down Loki's beautiful face ever again. He would do anything to prevent that.

Loki cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable and ashamed.

"I am...prone to nightmares. They are nothing. They are merely exacerbated by this illness. I feel them worse."

Steve sighed in sympathy. He had seen many a soldier go insane from the terrors they faced at night, and Loki really needed his sleep now.

"You wanna talk about them?"

"No"

Steve had expected that, but that didn;t make it sting any less. Still, he could understand why.

"C-could you get Thor for me? I wish to speak with him. He was always able to make me feel better when ill"

Steve's face split into a wide smile as he rose from where he was crouched next to the bed. Since Loki was living here, he and Thor had made a few tentative steps towards reconciliation, and were much friendlier now than they had been, although they all knew not all wounds would heal between the brothers. This, however, showed great prgoress that Loki wanted Thor to help him feel better in his vulnerable state. Steve was all too happy to oblige this wish.

"Sure, I'll go hunt him down, back in a jiffy. Bless you by the way" He added as Loki dropped his head in a powerful sneeze. "I'll grab some tissues on the way back too."

It didn't take long to find Thor, once again watching his cartoons. Steve would have to talk to Tony about getting Thor into some other activity, that much TV couldn't be good for him, even if it had made him easier to find.

"Thor? You busy?"

The large blonde man turned in his seat, his usual wide smile in place on his face.

"Captain! Come sit with me, how is my brother? You have seen him, have you not?"

Steve smiled lightly, happy both at how concerned Thor was for Loki, but also that everyone knew that only ihe/i had been successful in talking to Loki so far. Maybe he was just a little smug about that.

"Actually, that's what i'm here about. Loki wants to see you. Said you were always the one that could make him feel better. He was having some nightmares earlier and they really upset him, and i think he just needs his big brother right now."

Instead of the beaming smile Steve was expecting Thor to give when he recieved the news of Loki wanting to see him, Thor's face fell slightly at the mention of Loki's nightmares.

"Thor? What is it?"

Thor looked up at Steve, face solemn. "There is only one thing my brother dreams of that upsets him so, and I am not sure i could bring him much comfort. He dreams of his children, Captain. Loki is a mother and a father, dreaming of the children that were torn from him. The children I could never save."

Steve swallowed. Loki had children torn away from him? He had _mothered_ some of them? He felt himself understanding more and more why Loki was as damaged as he was. The poor guy.

"Thor..I know you feel guilty that you couldn't save them...but trust me, it's you he wants to comfort him now. You didn't see the look on his face. He needs you." By now Steve was practically pleading with the Thunder God.

Thor seemed to recognize the desperation in Steves voice, and register his words, for he jumped from the couch, smile back in place.

"Then I shall go to him! I shall not fail my brother again! Lead the way, Captain!"

Steve sighed in relief as they exited the room, feeling as though he were actually doing something to help Loki now.

Ten minutes later had Steve darting back into the room to pick up the forgotten box of tissues. He had a feeling Loki needed them badly now, and not just because he was ill.

And if when he returned there were two Gods hugging on the bed, one large, with a smaller one in his lap, tear tracks staining his pale face, fast asleep as the larger sang to him, rubbing his hand soothingly through his ebony hair..Steve didn't take any pictures. None at all.

Not even the one he would print off and give to Tony.

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Read and review please :D


	5. Chapter 5

Okay guys so sorry this one is slightly shorter than the others, it was just a bit of a filler really. Hope you enjoy it anyway! None of this is mine...i wish xD

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The next few days had everyone concerned for Loki's welfare, not just Steve. The thin God was declining in health, rather than improving, and it was alarming how much worse he seemed now. His fever was almost constantly sky high, which Thor assured him was dangerous for Loki especially, being Jotun of birth and naturally at a lower body temperature. Thor and Steve found themselves hauling buckets of ice to Loki's room for him to bathe in, and JARVIS was under orders to keep the thermostat in Loki's room at rock bottom levels. Besides his ice-fetching duties, Steve remained Loki's constant companion, keeping him entertained, keeping his mind off of his illness. Tony regularly dropped in, and Thor more often than not just to fuss, but Bruce was the most helpful. When Loki became too nauseated to keep down any fluids when he drank them, Bruce had come to set up an IV, and ensured he was never without one. Bruce also set up the monitoring of Loki's temperature and pulse, just in case. He seemed so _sickly_, and none of them were willing to take any risks right now. Loki was part of their team now.

In his usual position at Loki's bedside, Steve was currently tracing patterns on Loki's pale skin as he slept, but withdrew with a gasp as he saw the inky blue pallor of Loki's Jotun skin creeping up from his fingertips. He watched, mesmerised as darker blue markings appeared on Loki's skin, and reached out to trace them with a finger.

"Don't" Loki's voice was weak, and croaky, but he still somehow managed to be stern.

"It is too cold for you. It will hurt you, and I do not want that."

Steve frowned as Loki attempted to push himself up onto his arms, panting with the exertion it required. He reached over to the desk for a glass of ice water as the God began to cough, fluid rattling in his lungs.

"Easy, Loki. You should rest some more."

Loki's red eyes lifted to meet Steve's blue ones. The look he was being given spoke volumes about what he thought of _that_ plan. Loki continued to push himself upwards until he achieved a sitting position. The Trickster allowed himself a mere moment of reprieve before swinging his legs to the edge of the bed and ascending to a standing position.

Well...gold star for trying. Loki's legs shook where he stood, but otherwise his demeanour spoke of someone with confidence who totally should not still be in bed and wasn't incredibly ill right now.

Until he tried to walk a few steps.

Steve thanked God almighty that he was present when Loki woke and decided it was time to get up, for in the second it took him to move as he saw Loki falling, his knees buckling beneath him, Steve could honestly say he had never been more scared in his life.

"You shall have to stop...saving me like...a damsel in distress, Captain." Loki slurred, only half conscious. Steve decided not to risk moving him, and instead sank to the floor, Loki's head in his lap as he lay on the ground.

"Then you're going to have to stop giving me heart attacks like this."

"One would almost think you cared for me Captain." A casual comment, thrown out there...

"I do."

Steve's eyes widened as his brain registered what his mouth had just spoken. Had he just done that? Just openly admitted that he liked Loki? He felt Loki turn to face him in his lap, slowly. Steve closed his eyes for a moment, dreading what was to come. Ill or not, Loki could still turn him into a toad if he wanted...or a bilgesnipe, and he didn't know what that was, but Thor made it sound horrifying.

When he opened his eyes, and red met blue, however, he found Loki smiling softly, making him look at peace despite the fever glaze on his eyes.

"Good. Otherwise this would be awkward." And with that, Steve's neck had a cold hand on the back of it, and he was pulled forward to meet Loki's icy lips.

They kissed passionately for a good minute, and pulled away for just two reasons.

Firstly, snogging someone senseless could be classed as overexertion, and Loki certainly didn't need that.

Secondly, Steve was pretty sure his lips were getting frostbitten.

They stayed like that, breathing heavily, smiling at each other, both completely content with what had just passed. Content with each other, for the moment.

"Captain! Hast thou defiled my brother?"

Steve gulped. Damn those silently sliding doors.

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Oh dear! What will Thor say? How will this go down? Cast your votes guys, what do you think should happen? Let me know in a nice review :D


	6. Chapter 6

Okay guys so this is the next chapter...enjoy! I own nothing

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Steve jumped to his feet, startled by Thor's bellow. The action knocked Loki onto the floor, where he gasped from the harsh treatment to his still weak body, coughs wracking him. He gasped on the floor, too weak to pull himself up properly, and Steve's attention was instantly diverted, crouching next to the gasping God, whispering apologies and reassurances whilst rubbing cricles into his back. Thor however, would not be swayed from his trail of thought.

"Captain, I ask again, hast thou taken it upon thyself to court a Prince of Asgard without first asking the permission of his family?"

Steve lost patience at that point, something he rarely did. But honestly, there were more important things to worry about right now.

"Thor can you hear yourself? For one thing, Loki is perfectly capable of making his own decisions, listening to what others told him to do certainly never suited him before! And secondly, he's laying on the floor, gasping and choking, shaking with chills, _even though_ cold shouldn't affect him in his jotun form, and you're worried about his _dating schedule?_ Priorities Thor, priorities."

The Thunder God frowned, clearly not having noticed his brothers distress, nor registered that he was in his other form. He leant over, scooping his brother from the ground and depositing him on the bed. The frown deepend at hearing no word of argument against this manhandling, but Steve informed him Loki had only fallen asleep again. Thor remained silent, as this didn't really ease his concern. Loki never slept much, and now he barely seemed able to keep his eyes open. It was...unsettling, no matter how often friend Bruce informed them it was simply because of Loki's sentient magic interacting with the virus.

The God and the Soldier left Loki's room, both agreeing they should probably talk about this away from Loki's room, lest they wake him. They settled in bar stools in the Kitchen, both helping themselves to large mugs of coffee.

"Is he happy?"

Steve almost dropped his coffee in his surprise at the question. he'd expected more yelling, a beating, murder, from the Thunder God, not a simple inquiry. The question also confused him a little, to be honest. It must have shown on his face, for Thor continued a moment later.

"I have seen Loki interact with our comrades. With friend Tony, he is amused. With friend Bruce, he is curious. With friend Clint, he is wary. I have seen him be all of these things, but never truly happy. As of yet, I have seen very little of his interactions with you, so tell me this. With you, is he happy?"

Steve thought about that for a moment. Thought back to all the times he had seen Loki laughing, carefree and innocent. Looked back on the times they had spoken together, just content to reminisce about their individual pasts. Thought back to moments ago, when he broke off the kiss with Loki, who, Cold and blue and shaking and sweating, still had a smile that lit up the entire east side of America.

"I think he is, yes."

"He is."

Loki stood against the doorway, still shaking, sweating, and looking as though the last thing he should be doing was wandering the mansion, _barefoot_, Steve noticed with indignation, but back to his Aesir form. Steve pushed off from his chair to chastise the God and pull him back to bed if he had to, but was beaten to the punch by an unsuspected Mother Hen.

"You. Bed. Now. God, why are you so difficult? You look like absolute shit and you're still wandering the halls searching for loverboy, and yes, I know all about you two. I do have security cameras in the building you know. Would've been a fab make out session if you weren't interrupted and if you hadn't almost passed out both before and after. Just fabulous. Now get your ass back in bed before I have Steve tie you to it."

Loki looked surprisingly shamed after his lecture by Tony, who stalked up behind him, scooping him into his arms as so many seemed to have done in the past few days. However, instead of carrying the sickly God himself, he walked him just over to Steve, indicating he should take the God he was obviously so fond of. Steve complied, speechless, blushing a furious shade of beetroot as Loki kissed his forehead, carding his hands through the coifed hair. Steve tutted at him.

"Come on, you. Back to bed. You're still way too sick to be up. No more kisses for tonight" Steve finished, laughing as Loki pouted, opening his mouth to speak, only to let out a chain of painful sounding sneezes.

"Exactly. Not well at all, thankyou for proving the point. Come on, I'll grab you some tissues and tea and I'll tuck you in and read you a story if you want."

Loki glared momentarily, eyes widening in anxiety for just a moment. "Will you stay?" His voice came out as a tiny whimper, the desparation in it so clear and heartbreaking Steve had to refrain himself from cooing over the beautiful creature.

"Of course I will, sweetheart. As long as you want me there."

Thor watched this interaction, judging silently. He decided that should he ever ask, which he doubted he would, Thor would give the Captain blessing to court his brother. Loki seemed content in the arms of the soldier, completely at ease, and the captain himself seemed to visibly relax when Loki was put in his arms, as though the mere thought of another making contact with Loki set him on edge. It was a good thing, Thor supposed. Loki would always be protected.

And if the Captain ever hurt Loki in any way, well, nothing would be able to protect _him._

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_Read and review please :D  
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	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! Sorry this took so long :P Im working on what my prompter tells me she wants but yeah...i kind like this chapter too so...enjoy :D I own nothing

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Steve could genuinely say he had never been so scared. Not even when he was about to crash into the ocean, thinking he would die.

It had all started that morning. Loki had admitted to feeling worse than the previous day, which Tony had told him -more like yelled at him- was due to his using up his energy wandering around the mansion looking for Steve. The sickly God had been put on strict bedrest for the day, no magic, for it would use up his energy, and no getting out of bed. Steve had sighed at the time, seeing the glint in Loki's eyes at being ordered around in such a way. It would only spark defiance.

They left Loki to rest, seeing the God could barely keep his eyes open despite only being woken up a half hour prior. Steve headed down to the lab with Tony, not having anything better to do.

"Steve, if you don't stop pacing i'm going to get Thor to put Mjolnir on your head."

Steve halted, broken from his musings. Tony tutted at him, pulling off his gloves to take Steves face in his hands, forcing the soldier to stare directly into his eyes.

"Listen to me. I know you're worried about him. I'm worried about him. We're _all _worried about him, Steve, and we're not all head over heels in love with him like you. But there's nothing we can do right now. he's sick, yes, but he's also a God, and we just don't know enough about him to help him yet, and anything we do could just make it worse. He's doing everything he can to make himself better by sleeping. He's safe and he will. be. fine. Relax a little. Go find Thor, ask him about some of Loki's childhood stories or something, that should lighten you up a bit."

Steve bit his lip and nodded, knowing he was getting on Tony's nerves. He shook Tony's hands off of his face, striding out of the room. Perhas he would take Tony's advice and find Thor, he always seemed to get a kick out of talking about his brother, and had to be just as worried as Steve was about their resident Trickster. He made his way to the Kitchen, where Thor was often found, and bit back his disappointment at the lack of Thor he found there. He turned to leave and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice.

"Thor left to go see Jane, if he was who you're looking for." Bruce Banner sat on the couch, reading through the science section. Of course. Steve approached, perching himself on the seat across from the doctor.

"Oh...um yeah, i just wanted to talk to him about...stuff." Steve stammered, not really wanting to reveal that he wanted the Thunder God as a companion for his worrying.

"About Loki" Bruce peered at him over his glasses, a knowing look in his eyes.

Steve sighed. "Yes. About Loki"

"What about me?" Both heads turned at lightning speed, almost comically, towards the intruder. Loki stood, panting, gasping even, against the far wall, his face flushed a vivid shade of red, eyes closed, body drooping. Bruce stood faster than Steve could say Hulk, and walked over to the struggling Loki. Steve stood back a little, incredibly worried, but not wanting to seem overbearing.

"What're you doing up, Loki?"

The God of mischief turned his head up from its drooping position to fix Steve with a sharp look.

"It was not...without necessity...I woke from my rest...and found myself regurgitating...blood...I was dizzy...confused.." Loki was pale as a sheet by now, sweat dripping down his face, gasping for breath, one hand pulling at his collar as though it were restricting him, and his mouth opened as he tried desperately to finish his line of reasoning. Thankfully, Bruce finished for him, laying a hand over the God's shaking ones, letting him know it was okay to stop.

"And you knew you needed help. We were the closest you could find." Which was terrible really, considering Loki's room was on another floor, across the other side of the tower. They should have thought of this, a way to let them know if he really needed help. Steve wanted to slap himself for not thinking of it sooner, and for not checking in on Loki more often. He wanted to slap himself even harder as Loki started retching, coughing up blood, before falling to his knees on the floor, eyes drifting shut.

Bruce followed the God to the floor, helping him remain at least kneeling instead of face down on the floor. He tapped Loki's face, going so far as to reach for the glass of water on the table beside him and splash a little in Loki's face.

"Come on Loki, stay with us. Open your eyes, you know how Steve loves your eyes. He's right here, come on, look at him for me. That's it"

Loki's eyelids fluttered open, his glazed pupils staring into Steve's eyes. He spoke softly, his speech slurred. Steve realized he probably wasn't even aware of his words, but his heart still did loops at the repeated "Steve...love you."

"Steve."

"Steve! I need you to go get Tony. Call him or go get him physically, I don't care. JARVIS is calling Thor, he might be able to tell us more about Loki's physiology, but I need you to carry Loki to the medical suite and I need Tony to help me, okay? This is wreaking havoc on his system, it's making his whole system go into shut down. We need to help him before it gets any worse or he's going to die Steve, you hear me? Die. Now, go get Tony"

Those words rang in his ears through his entire phone call with Tony, and soon they were both down in the medical suite, Loki fighting for his life against a Midgardian illness, all whilst some of Tony's best medical proffessionals had no idea what to do because their patient wasn't even human.

Steve's bottom lip wasn't going to have any skin left on it by the end of the day.

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Reviews would make my day :D


	8. Chapter 8

Okay so...this is the last chapter i'm afraid :( See the bottom of the page for notes. I own nothing :D

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Steve sat on a hard plastic chair outside the infirmary, waiting impatiently, knowing that just inside those doors, two of his best friends were fighting to save the life of the man he loved. Bruce had told him, in a rare moment of stability on Loki's part, that what he hypothesized was that Loki's organs were failing because the illness was hitting him so hard, and his body temperature was through the roof, especially for a frost giant.

He sighed. That's what bothered him most of all. Hypothesized. They had no real way to be sure because none of them really knew what Loki's vitals should look like, or how his body would react to anything. So far they'd tried giving him drugs to bring down his fever, but he'd reacted badly, so the two scientists in the Avengers were working round the clock to find an alternative that would actually work for their Jotun friend.

Steve jumped to his feet, knocking his chair backwards as Tony appeared in the doorway between the infirmary and the waiting room just outside. The inventor ran his hands a few times through his hair, sighing, and Steve knew he was thinking about needing a good drink. Steve stepped forward, anxiously waiting for whatever Tony was about to say.

"He's stable. Don't know how long he'll stay stable for, but Bruce is gonna monitor his condition. Fever's down, thank God for that, now we just have to focus on keeping him hydrated and cooled down. Not gonna lie, Steve, he's really sick, but we've got better control of it now. He'll be okay. He's sleeping, but you can go in and sit with him. He was asking for you, even in his delirium. He must think you're pretty special, Rogers."

Steve let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. It was okay. Loki was going to be okay. That's all that mattered, never mind the tiny part of him doing leaps of joy that Loki had been asking for him. He waited impatiently for Tony to move from the doorway, and rushed in, stopping still when he saw Loki on the bed. Still in his Aesir form, a relief because it meant he still had some strength in him, and some magic, the Trickster's skin was stark white even against the sheets he lay upon, small rivulets of sweat on his head, deep purple bags under his eyes. Bruce sat in the chair opposite the door, glancing up from his chart to give Steve a weak smile before standing and offering his place to the Super Soldier. Steve took it without argument, now was not the time for manners. He had more important things to think about, Loki's flutering eyelids being first and foremost on his list. He took his seat, grasping on pale hand gently in his, pressing a kiss to the elegant fingers and waiting.

"Steve?" It was barely a whisper, but it was still there. Steve felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and let the tears flow, unashamed.

"Hey, sweetheart. I'm here, it's okay. How're you feeling?"

Loki groaned softly, turning his head toward Steve, eyes drifting open until Steve could clearly see his stunning green irises. "Like Thor hit me with Mjolnir. He didn't did he?"

Steve chuckled softly, ceasing his stroking patterns on the back of Loki's hands, and moving his fingers up to cup the side of the pale face. "No, love, you know I wouldn't let him do that. You've been very sick, and it got worse, but Tony and Bruce and I are taking care of you now. It's all gonna be alright, I promise."

Loki yawned, eyes drifting closed again. "Mmkay..Love you Steve. Stay?"

Steve smiled fondly, pressing a chaste kiss to Loki's warm lips. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Rest now, love. I love you too."

Over the next few days Loki was in and out of consciousness. His fever broke but he was still rather weak, falling asleep almost instantly after his first attempt at sitting up on his own. Bruce warned him against using his magic for a while, but of course Loki hadn't listened to that, taking the "I do what I want" stance on things. However, later in the day, when he found himself rousing from unconsciousness only to thrust his head into a bucket and regurgitate his lunch, he agreed that maybe his body wasn't quite ready to handle using magic again.

Steve laughed, watching through the window as Thor tried using the aeroplane technique to get Loki to eat a little more, only narrowly avoiding the fist thrown his way. Admittedly it would probably do Loki more harm right now than it would Thor, but the intent was there. Thor chuckled heartily, ruffling Loki's already mussed hair, starting the routine over again. They had been hard pressed to drag Tony out of the room once this routine had started, the playboy only too happy to record the spectacle and show it to the entire team. Bruce had smiled good naturedly and shoved Tony from the room, promising to check on his patient later in the day. As for Steve, noone had tried to pull him from the room, but he chose to let the brothers have this time to talk, and to bond.

The Super Soldier stifled his giggles as the God of Thunder stepped into the corridor, hair coated in the noodle soup he had been trying to feed his ill sibling. He noticed Steve standing there and shuffled his feet, embarassed.

"Uh...My brother appears to have gained much of his strength back..as well as much of his spirit. I believe I have you to thank for the latter, Friend Steve."

Steve felt blush creeping up his neck as he stammerd. "N-no no, I, I didn't do anything really."

Thor shook his head, and Steve stepped back a little as bits of soup went flying everywhere. "You have done much for him. He is happy again. I thank you." And the Thunder God strode away, leaving no chance for Steve to argue.

He shook his own head, smiling to himself as he walked into the infirmary, and his heart fluttered when Loki's eyes met his, emerald meeting sapphire. The smile on the God's face could have lit up the country, let alone the town, and Steve felt himself relax as he saw him. Everything was perfect as long as Loki was around.

"Hi, someones feeling better I see." He prodded Loki's legs gently, conveying his gratitude to every deity that this was true. Loki chuckled.

"Yes, thanks to Stark and Banner. And even a little thanks to Thor. I am feeling much better. Well enough to do this, even." Steve lurched forward as he found Loki's hands entangled in his shirt, pulling him until their lips crashed. Steve melted into the kiss, feeling Loki's tongue probing gently at his lips, parting them to allow him entry. They kissed for two glorious minutes before Steve pulled back, face flushed.

"Loki..I've been wanting to talk to you about that, and I ask that you don't interrupt until the end, okay? Let me get this out, I've been thinking about it for days." When Loki nodded his acceptance, Steve took a deep breath, steeling himself.

"Loki Laufeyson, or Odinson, or whatever you go by nowadays...Loki. I love you, more than I ever thought I could love anyone, even Peggy. Peggy was my first love, and it was amazing, but she died, Loki, and I lived. I have to move on. And I found you. You are so much the light in my darkness, just seeing you smile could keep me happy for a thousand years. You are so strong, and beautiful, and smarter than I could ever hope to be, and you've put up with so much bad stuff in your life, sometimes I don't understand how you aren't broken, but I'm so grateful you're not. I'm so grateful I found you, and that you're mine. I know the past couple of weeks have been insane, but I think even before then, I loved you. It sounds stupid but out in battle I would always be keeping an eye on you, and I told myself it was because you used to be our enemy, but in truth I was always wary of you getting hurt, always waiting to protect you from some evil, knowing you'd had enough in your life. The last few weeks have been insane, and scary, and amazing, and have made me realize I want to spend the rest of my life being insane and scary and amazing with you. I want to protect you and love you and cherish you with every fibre of my being, and I want to be able to truly call you , I've waited a long time to do this, because I wanted you to be healthy enough to remember it...and I asked Thor if there was a special way to do this where you're from, but he said I should do it my way and.."

Steve took a deep, shuddering breath, cutting off his own rambling, and knelt down on one knee. He looked straight into Loki's emerald eyes, glistening with unshed tears.

"Loki Laufeyson, will you marry me?"

Loki choked on his tears, bending his head to wipe away the moisture in his eyes, smiling uncontrollably. "Yes." He choked out, laughing as he said it. He swung his legs from the bed, ignoring how weak they felt, and threw himself into Steve's - his _fiances-_ arms.

Steve let out a breath, shaking a little from relief. He felt Loki laughing in his arms.

"What's so funny?" He asked, pulling the God around to face him.

"Oh, nothing. Just imagining the look on Fury's face when we tell him."

Steve laughed, the sound ringing through the halls of the tower.

Oh yes, this was going to be fun. He was engaged to the God of Mischief, after all, the would always be a little bit of chaos in their lives.

But they would be alright, because they were together.

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Okay so...thats the end! Im sad to see this fic go but i think its time to move on, this seemed like an okay place to end :P I hope you loved it as much as i did, let me know in a review!


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